Wastewater surveillance – a means of detecting prevalence of the COVID-19 virus during the pandemic – will continue to be done locally through to the end of 2025, despite the Province no longer funding it.
During a recent Board of Health meeting, local Medical Officer of Health Dr. Thomas Piggott and Trent forensic science professor Dr. Christopher Kyle noted wastewater surveillance was a critical virus detection tool used during the pandemic, particularly during the Omicron variant wave in 2021.
With the Province cutting funding for the procedure at the end of this July, the board voted to fund it with local dollars for the rest of this year and all of next year while pressing the Province to re-instate the funding.
(Written by: Paul Rellinger)
